Why develop agave? Efficiently, these low-maintenance crops can add magnificence with their stunning foliage in each your indoor houseplant assortment and your out of doors landscaping. Plus, most varieties will flower a minimal of as shortly as of their lifetime. Rising each indoors and open air has its execs and cons.
For rising indoors, you’ll wish to choose small, compact varieties that do correctly in containers. You acquired’t want to provide any consideration to your rising zone or native local weather on account of indoors, you would create the right situations. Indoors, they like a shiny, sunny window and should dry out completely between waterings.
For rising agave open air, mature dimension wouldn’t matter as masses. Because you don’t must embrace the crops in a pot, you would select varieties with various mature sizes. Some can attain as so much as 10 toes tall and broad when grown open air. For out of doors crops, you’ll want to take into accounts your USDA rising zone and whether or not or not or not or not it’ll get too chilly for these out of doors crops to outlive.
Indoor Varieties
As talked about above, agave varieties that do correctly indoors embody small and compact varieties. These varieties can also be pint-sized, nonetheless they aren’t quick on magnificence. Every alternative has its non-public distinctive foliage, and so they additionally’re totally fitted to life on a windowsill.
Agaves don’t require masses by means of maintain a houseplant. Watering them too typically or fertilizing them may set off them to die. For people who typically end up forgetting to water your houseplants, then agave might be the plant for you!
When rising indoors, it’s advisable select a container with a drainage gap, nonetheless ditch the saucer as you don’t need to create any standing water. Overly moist soil could be detrimental. And whereas these varieties are good for indoors, you would develop most of them open air, too!
Blue Glow
‘Blue Glow’ Agave is a comparatively new cultivar, which is a hybrid of Agave attenuata and Agave ocahui. And whereas it doesn’t resemble its father or mother crops, it does showcase stunning darkish blue-green leaves with yellow and purple margins. These margins seemingly glow when backlit by the photograph voltaic, thus the title ‘Blue Glow’.
Full photograph voltaic is finest for this alternative, nonetheless it’d furthermore address dappled daylight. Its mature dimension is 2 to some toes tall and broad, which makes it good for rising in containers indoors.
Artichoke
Agave parryi var. Truncata has broad, blue leaves with maroon spines that resemble an artichoke. On account of this truth the frequent title, artichoke agave. This alternative is native to Central Mexico, which makes it terribly drought-tolerant and low-maintenance.
It does finest in full photograph voltaic, which could be offered indoors through the use of mirrored daylight as correctly. You may create mirrored mild through the use of foil, strategically positioned mirrors, or complement with indoor develop lights. Its mature dimension is two toes tall and three toes broad.
Twin Flowered
Agave geminiflora, or twin-flowered agave, has extended, slender leaves which set it other than fully totally different agaves. The extended, skinny foliage resembles a pin cushion. Its look can add uniqueness to your indoor succulent assortment.
It does finest in full photograph voltaic, which, as talked about above, could be offered indoors through the use of mirrored daylight as correctly. Its mature dimension is three toes tall and 4 toes broad.
Agave schidigera
Agave schidigera has curly white fibers on every shiny inexperienced leaf. The white markings on the leaves improve the excellence of the inexperienced foliage. This alternative is native to central Mexico.
It requires full photograph voltaic or filtered afternoon shade. Its mature dimension is one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad.
King Ferdinand
Agave Ferdinandi Regis bears a inserting resemblance to ‘Queen Victoria’ Agave. Hundreds in order that it was as shortly as thought that it was a naturally occurring hybrid of Agave victoriae-reginae, however it absolutely actually has since been acknowledged as its present alternative.
Furthermore it is acknowledged normally as King of The Agaves. This alternative has darkish inexperienced leaves, white margins, and sharp terminal choices. It grows in an open rosette, which seems to be stunning in a container. It requires full photograph voltaic and wishes an notably sunny window when grown indoors. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and broad.
‘Compacta’ Queen Victoria
Agave victoriae-reginae ‘Compacta’ is a compact, container-friendly cultivar of Agave victoriae-reginae. You may even see this alternative at desert botanical gardens. It is among the many many most stunning agaves.
It has darkish inexperienced leaves and vibrant white markings. Similar to the above-mentioned ‘King Ferdinand’, nonetheless with reasonably extra distinction. It requires full photograph voltaic, ideally a really sunny window when grown indoors. Its mature dimension is lower than one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad.
Outside Varieties
When deciding on an agave option to develop open air, you’ll want to take into accounts your USDA rising zone. Correct proper right here, we’ll embody that info with every alternative so that you may resolve if it’ll develop open air in your space. The rising zone signifies the frequent low temperature in your space. That is important to know for multi-annual crops like agave since they will be spending the winter out of doors.
Agaves are native to the Southern United States, Central Mexico, the Caribbean, and components of South America. For that function, they develop finest in Southwest and Mediterranean climates, nonetheless some are fairly chilly and hardy. To outlive the winter, like most agaves, they will want well-drained soil. Standing water in colder months may set off injury and plant lack of life.
Golden Flowered Century Plant
Agave chrysantha may also be generally known as the golden flowered century plant. This evergreen agave alternative varieties a superb rosette made up of grey-green leaves. The sword-shaped leaves develop in a mound, giving it a delightful spherical contour. The leaves are lined with spines alongside the sides and have a pointy terminal backbone.
It requires full photograph voltaic and well-drained soil. It’s each drought and deer-resistant. Its mature dimension is 2 to some toes tall and 4 to 5 toes broad.
Harvard
Agave havardiana may also be generally known as ‘Harvard’ agave. It has stunning silver-gray foliage with fleshy and broad, cupped leaves. The leaves are intently lined with darkish brown enamel and topped with a really sharp black terminal backbone.
This alternative is terribly chilly hardy and could be flooring open air in USDA rising zones 5-10. It’d presumably resist temperatures as little as -20 ranges Fahrenheit (-29 ranges Celsius)! Though it’d address the chilly, it requires a full-sun location, notably all through the winter months. Defend that in concepts when deciding in your planting website, because of the photograph voltaic shall be decrease all through the sky in the midst of the winter. It has a mature dimension of two to some toes tall and three to 4 toes broad.
Mountain Agave
Agave montana, or mountain agave, is one totally different alternative that resembles a large artichoke. It has fleshy, broad, upright, apple-green leaves with giant cinnamon-red enamel alongside the margins and a brief terminal backbone. This solitary agave wouldn’t produce offshoots or pups as many various agaves do.
Mountain agave could be grown in USDA rising zones 7-10 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It’d presumably survive in full photograph voltaic to partial shade situations. Its mature dimension is three to 4 toes tall and 4 to 5 toes broad.
Slim Leaf Century Plant
Agave striata may also be generally known as the narrow-leaf century plant. And for good perform! This alternative has extended, slender foliage that’s gray-green with a brown terminal backbone. The leaves could be upright or curve upwards barely.
The foliage may present slight purple tones all by means of chilly native climate. This alternative produces plentiful pups and offshoots, so that you just’ll have the facility to propagate many crops in case you occur to fall in love with it in your panorama.
This alternative could be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It requires a full photograph voltaic location to confirm a healthful and long-lived plant. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and two to some toes broad.
Whale’s Tongue
Agave ovatifolia could also be normally generally known as whale’s tongue agave. The leaves are broad, cup-shaped, and differ in colour from grey to powdery blue, identical to a whale’s tongue! The leaves are lined with enamel alongside the margins and a tall terminal backbone.
Whale tongue agave could be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic to thrive. Its mature dimension is three to 4 toes tall and 4 to 6 toes broad.
Cabbage Head
Agave parrasana, or cabbage head agave, resembles a head of cabbage, as its title would counsel. This award-winning agave is slow-growing and varieties a densely packed rosette of overlapping blue-gray leaves. It’s a winner of the Award of Yard Revenue given by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Cabbage head agave could be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic and prefers barely acidic, sandy soil. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and broad. Nonetheless, this small plant can produce a flower stalk as so much as 20 toes tall!
Queen Victoria Century Plant
Agave victoriae-reginae, moreover generally known as the ‘Queen Victoria’ century plant, is a show-stopper of agave in your out of doors landscaping. We talked about its compact alternative above as a terrific indoor yard addition, and the full-grown alternative is simply as stunning. It has the same darkish inexperienced leaves with vibrant white markings. Furthermore it is a winner of the Award of Yard Revenue.
This alternative could be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic to supply top-of-the-line and most stunning leaves. Its mature dimension is one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad.
Ultimate Ideas
Rising agaves each indoors and out can add a terrific low-maintenance ingredient to every your houseplant assortment or your out of doors landscaping. Whereas agaves are principally equated with scorching and dry climates, there are just a few varieties that can survive cooler temperatures. Within the occasion you are in North America, look for varieties native to your space, as these will do finest in your native local weather.
